Cambrian Storm Damage / Conwy Valley Flooding 02/20

[yorkie]

...
Every time the Conwy valley is damaged, this forum is rife with comments suggesting the line should be closed, yet, if the Govt did decide that closure would be the best course of action this forum would be in uproar about it!...

Have you considered the possibility that the thousands of contributors to this forum might have a range of different views?

 

[krus_aragon]

Have you considered the possibility that the thousands of contributors to this forum might have a range of different views?

I'd completely misread that post, to the effect of:

Every time the Conwy valley is damaged, this forum is rife with comments suggesting the line should be closed, yet, if the Govt did decide that closure would be the best course of action for this forum it would be in uproar about it!

Gives a slightly different angle to it!

 

[krus_aragon]

TfW's journeycheck is stating this morning that:

Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog

Remains closed for approximately four weeks. Replacement road transport in place.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In the Welsh mountains using a vehicle because you stated you didn't want to use a train in fear of being stranded. At the same time you were stuck in Lancaster because the railway stranded you and you had to book a Travelodge. Mix in a load of posts telling people things weren't that bad in several locations.

I'm no detective but I smell a rat.

I think you're misreading. I was in Wales this weekend, and the Lakes (then Lancaster for a couple of days semi-intentionally) last weekend. One in each storm!

The decision this weekend was based on the experience last weekend . The original intention was train for both.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd completely misread that post, to the effect of:

Every time the Conwy valley is damaged, this forum is rife with comments suggesting the line should be closed, yet, if the Govt did decide that closure would be the best course of action for this forum it would be in uproar about it!

Gives a slightly different angle to it!

I doubt the regular user of the Conwy Valley and his dog and bicycle would be overly bothered about whether the Forum was to be closed

 

[mmh]

I doubt the regular user of the Conwy Valley and his dog and bicycle would be overly bothered about whether the Forum was to be closed

*Waves* I would be!

But I don't have a dog.

I haven't noticed who's providing the RRB's this time, will try to remember to keep an eye out.

 

[JonathanPrince]

Anyone know whether the Wednesday reopening of the Cambrian is realistic? Is it a sweep up the debris job, or a rebuild an entire embankment job?

 

[PHILIPE]

Anyone know whether the Wednesday reopening of the Cambrian is realistic? Is it a sweep up the debris job, or a rebuild an entire embankment job?

NRE say Wednesday at the very earliest and this would probably be between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth only.

 

[Belperpete]

Anyone know whether the Wednesday reopening of the Cambrian is realistic? Is it a sweep up the debris job, or a rebuild an entire embankment job?

I would imagine its more of a wait until the flood waters have subsided and then assess the damage job.

 

[Darandio]

I think you're misreading. I was in Wales this weekend, and the Lakes (then Lancaster for a couple of days semi-intentionally) last weekend. One in each storm!

The decision this weekend was based on the experience last weekend . The original intention was train for both.

Indeed I was and apologised shortly afterwards.

 

[gazthomas]

It was sarcasm.

I am pleased about that, you never can tell on these forums!

 

[CambrianCoast]

Services look like they’re due to restart gradually on the Cambrian Coast tomorrow. 158837 arrived at Pwllheli this evening having undertaken a test trip from Machynlleth.

 

[Llanigraham]

Test trains were run from Machy to Shrewsbury, Pwllheli and Aberystwyth this afternoon.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Indeed I was and apologised shortly afterwards.

No worries

 

[Belperpete]

Services look like they’re due to restart gradually on the Cambrian Coast tomorrow. 158837 arrived at Pwllheli this evening having undertaken a test trip from Machynlleth.

TfW Journey-check shows:
Cambrian
Line has reopened with a full service due to commence on Wednesday. Services will run from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth, Machynlleth to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth to Pwllheli.

However, if you look further down at the individual train cancellations, it looks like all the Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth services are cancelled on Wednesday, and Birmingham-Aberystwyth services are only running Birmingham-Shrewsbury. So a bit of a contradiction as to what (if any) services will be running Shrewsbury to Machynlleth.

 

[krus_aragon]

Realtime Trains for Machynlleth this morning shows trains moving (with timing updates) in the Aberystwyth, Pwllheli, and Aberystwth directions, so it seems that much of it is in operation again. There are also numerous bus replacement services alongside them: perhpas they were still scheduled just in case.

 

[philthetube]

A Bus probably would be a better option in this case, however, as we all know, if services were replaced by a bus service in 5 years time there would be virtually no service.

History has told us this many times.

 

[krus_aragon]

A Bus probably would be a better option in this case, however, as we all know, if services were replaced by a bus service in 5 years time there would be virtually no service.

History has told us this many times.

With the proviso that stopping buses along the Cabmrian Coast are dead slow (as they have to go inland at every estuary to find the nearest road bridge) so you'd want two bus services, fast and slow, to replace the current service's timings.

 

[philthetube]

With the proviso that stopping buses along the Cabmrian Coast are dead slow (as they have to go inland at every estuary to find the nearest road bridge) so you'd want two bus services, fast and slow, to replace the current service's timings.

Sorry, should have made myself clear, I was referring to the Conway valley.

 

[krus_aragon]

Sorry, should have made myself clear, I was referring to the Conway valley.

In that case, your suggestion has a lot more going for it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In that case, your suggestion has a lot more going for it.

With Wales tending towards a regulated bus service I can certainly see the case for making it part of the regulated and subsidised Trawscymru network. If we worked from the base assumption that the subsidy level was acceptable, that subsidy would probably pay for an hourly bus service with an early start and late finish and bicycle carriage, and perhaps improvements to e.g. Betws "bus station" to move it somewhere more prominent and improve its quality, perhaps it could go on the present short stay car park by the bogs with the long stay changing to have different stay length options.

That said, if the rail funding comes from London and the bus funding would come from Wales, there would be rather a disconnect there, which might well be one key reason it hasn't happened.

 

[PHILIPE]

TfW Journey-check shows:
Cambrian
Line has reopened with a full service due to commence on Wednesday. Services will run from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth, Machynlleth to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth to Pwllheli.

However, if you look further down at the individual train cancellations, it looks like all the Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth services are cancelled on Wednesday, and Birmingham-Aberystwyth services are only running Birmingham-Shrewsbury. So a bit of a contradiction as to what (if any) services will be running Shrewsbury to Machynlleth.

Considering the the fact that the line was only confirmed as re-opening yesterday evening it would be better to get the news out and then start the task of re-instating the services and update the information.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Sorry, should have made myself clear, I was referring to the Conway valley.

May be worth splitting this thread to separate Cambrian and Conwy Valley line chat so we all know where we are!

 

[Belperpete]

With the proviso that stopping buses along the Cabmrian Coast are dead slow (as they have to go inland at every estuary to find the nearest road bridge) so you'd want two bus services, fast and slow, to replace the current service's timings.

That is what they were doing, with a fast bus calling at just Tywyn, Barmouth, Harlech and then all stations from Porthmadog. However, that still involves the long inland excursions. Travelling to and from Porthmadog, it was nearly two hours quicker to use the Traws Cambria T2 service bus than the "fast" rail replacement bus.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That is what they were doing, with a fast bus calling at just Tywyn, Barmouth, Harlech and then all stations from Porthmadog. However, that still involves the long inland excursions. Travelling to and from Porthmadog, it was nearly two hours quicker to use the Traws Cambria T2 service bus than the "fast" rail replacement bus.

Which obviously you can do on a Sunday for nowt...but as these are regulated services would it make sense to have acceptance on other days and perhaps hire in vehicles to beef the service up a bit with duplicates?

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

May be worth splitting this thread to separate Cambrian and Conwy Valley line chat so we all know where we are!

Is there a thread for the Marches? Abergeveny to Hereford is still closed.


Edit: I started a new thead for Abergeveny to Hereford.

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

Network Rail posted a photo of Conwy Valley yesterday (18 Feb)

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/resources/conwy-valley-line-1-2

Today's update says Conwy Valley line closed until further notice.

 

[Laurencew]

I can report the Cambrian Lines are fully working, from personal experience.
My small party wanted to sample the service on the Welsh Highland Railway (despite the dire weather predictions). Our original plan had been to do the 'circle' from Chester, out via North Wales Coast, return via Cambrian and Shrewsbury. With the statement on Journeycheck that the Cambrian would open on Wednesday "at the earliest", we decided to do a simple out and back from Chester to Porthmadog via Caernarfon.
Sensing early this morning that things were moving, we quickly altered our plans to include the North Wales Day Ranger All Zones, an exceptionally versatile product that would enable us to travel at will. We intended to get the 1402 Cambrian train or the 14.15 Welsh Highland back from Porthmadog. We tracked the incoming service for our Cambrian departure up the coast and all seemed well; as indeed it was, all trains (and a bus) ran perfectly to time to the minute. However we had to change at Machynlleth (and those going to Birmingham at Shrewsbury) as I suspect the 158 diagrams and maintenance was very much disrupted and they wanted them back at Machynlleth. And it was interesting that the land side of the trains was filthy, the coast side clean as a whistle; had they really ploughed through that much high sea?

Well done to Network Rail and TfW for getting it all going so quickly. Certainly appreciated by ourselves, families on a half term breaks and students from Aberystwyth Uni. And apart from a right downpour in Porthmadog, the weather was better than the forecast as well.
Laurence.

 

[KNotts]

Im certainly no expert on these matters, but why not dredge the Conwy back to the depth it had years ago when it didn't flood like this. Boats back to Trefriw Quay would surely be good for tourism.

 

[krus_aragon]

Im certainly no expert on these matters, but why not dredge the Conwy back to the depth it had years ago when it didn't flood like this. Boats back to Trefriw Quay would surely be good for tourism.

The Conwy river is tidal as far as Trefriw (hence the quay), so the newly-dredged river would still be full of sea water twice a day, and rainfall at spring tides would remain problematic.

(It was the arrival of the railway in Llanrwst in the 1860s that put the quay out of business, as it happens.)

Much of Llanrwst's flooding issues come from the dog-leg in the river just south of the town, before the river passes under the rail bridge. In times of heavy rainfall, the river can burst its banks here, and flow straight-on into the town. At that point, all the flood water is the wrong side of the railway alignment and held back from the river channel by the railway, hence its propensity for being washed out.